The Bauma 2007 trade show last month in Munich, Germany, set a new all-time high attendance record topping 500,000 visitors, up from 416,000 in 2004, an increase of about 20 percent, show organizers said last week. The show, held in the Munich Trade Fair Center attracted more than 160,000 attendees from outside Germany, an increase of about 35 percent.

Attendees came from around 190 countries, with attendance particularly high from Austria, Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Southeast Asia — Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — and the United States.

Exhibitors totaled 3,041, up from 2,805 in 2004, including 1,390 German exhibitors and 1,651 from abroad, with Italy and Great Britain having the highest number of vendors besides Germany.

A survey conducted by independent pollster TNS Infratest GmbH showed that 83 percent of attendees were decision-makers for their firms, and 96 percent of those polled indicated they expected to attend again in 2010. The same percentage of polled exhibitors indicated they were satisfied with the show and would exhibit again in 2010.

The next Bauma trade fair is scheduled for April 19-25, 2010.

JCB's "Dancing Diggers" drew enthusiastic crowds at its Bauma stand last month. Photo by Michael Roth, RER.